Curse or Gift?
by Faithful Magewhisper
Summary: Here I try to answer the question if possessing magic is a gift or rather a curse. Read and find out. Disclaimer: The character are J.K.Rowling's, Diana Gabaldon's and Trudi Canavon's.


_**Curse or gift**_

A./N.: Here is a One-shot from several books (Harry Potter, Outlandish saga, Age of t is made hey Five) together. One must not necessarily know the other books, however.

Dyara is Minerva's a mother. As a young girl she was sold by her brother into slavery and got a child from her master, Minerva, who she gave to the human foster-parents to protect her from her father. Dyara is a born fairy, however now she's a human, because she had fallen in love with a male human. After she became a human she has searched her first daughter and has found her again. But now a new dark strength (Voldemort) threatens her luck.

Dyara feared immortality and the prophecies. Indeed, Claire and Minerva also had their doubts and thoughts but they also awaited this new and exciting adventure. They had not made the same experiences as Dyara. The main fear of all three women was the death of their husbands. None of them wanted to have to watch their beloved men and children die. Maerai, Dyara's third daughter, had told to them that there was a magic tree of immortality but Dyara could not believe this. Too many unusual things had already happened for this history to be true. Dyara simply did not have the youthful faith in magic anymore which she had had in former times. The magic had not helped her as she was held prisoner by the sultan.

„Are you absolutely certain about this tree? ", asked Claire.

„Yes, absolutely! I have looked it up in the forbidden department of the library. All books about The Five refer to the Tree of Everlasting Life. Only because of that the high priests could attain immortality. And this tree should produce rings which can store magic. The gods enchanted these personally with their magic. As long as a high priest carried his ring, he did not grow old anymore. He could only be killed by an illness or violence. "

„I did not know that you are such a bookworm ", Minerva said sarcastically, „In school you have always only done the most necessary. "

„Well, the school was only theory. Here it is about my family. But now back on the subject: The only problem is to keep Dad, Uncle Jamie and Albus out of war actions. They are still vulnerable. " 

„I knew that there was a hitch. They are not really immortally ", cried Minerva.

All of as sudden Dyara announced thoughtfully:

„Minerva, we won't be immortal either. The same restrictions will apply to us as well. Even the gods are mortal, because they are born as human. "

For a moment there was complete silence. Then a true tangle of questions and exclamations broke out. The loudest was Albus:

„How do you know all that? The old inscriptions have gotten lost hundreds of years ago. "

„Albus, you seem to forget that I am more than 200 years old. I am also a time traveller as so many others of my kind. I have many friends in different eras and on different continents. Many of them are scholars. My friend Emerahl has lifted the secret around the gods. She still lives since she is also immortal. Should I tell you when and where it was born? 1243 before Christ in the old Greece. I brought her to our era 50 years ago. Albus, get it already: I know even more about magic than all the other magicians and witches. "

Several feelings resonated in Dyara's voice. On the one hand it was hatred and on the other hand desperation and panic fear. Albus and Minerva looked at her surprised. Only Claire, who could always look into the heart of her aunt, knew what thoughts tumbled in Dyara's mind. Claire knew why Dyara feared immortality. This fear could be explained only partly by the possible loss of Brian. Dyara had been almost immortal once, at least she had aged very slowly. In this time as a fairy she had experienced awful things and the thought this could do on for hundreds of years could shake even the strongest minds.

Claire shot Brian a glance from under her lowered eyelashes and saw that he too understood his wife. Jamie, who stood beside Brian, seemed obviously shaken from the things he found out at this moment. His world had broken down more than 30 years ago as he found out that magic really existed. As a Scot he had always believed in it, however, in Paris at the university he had learnt that there were no such things. And now his world was once more turned upside down. The existence of a magic dimension, the magicians who lived in our world, magic creatures and now even the secrets of the gods threw him completely off. Claire was abruptly torn from her thoughts as Minerva asked sharply:

„What proofs that we are really the chosen ones? I mean we should be sure before we take the step into immortality. "

Dyara looked at them almost compassionately. After a while she asked quietly:

„Minerva what happens if one tries to apply magic one does not control? "

Minervas eyes widened and she became very pale. Meekly she responded:

„In the best of cases it does not succeed. However, the exact opposite can happen. In the worst case the magic robs one of the magical strength or even own life force and kills the magician. "

Now Minerva trembled on the whole body. However, it was Maerai who asked with obvious panic: „Does this mean you could die performing the Pactio charm? "

Dyara gave a dry laugh.

„No, no worry. We all have enough magical strength to perform a Pactio charm. Should we not be the chosen ones, the magic would only tie us together, however, not give us immortality. We would be Masters and assistants. No more. However, I doubt very much that this happens. Nothing in my life was easy up until now. Why should it be different now? I hate magic! "

With these words she turned round and went to the fireplace. The fire in it was reflected in her eyes. Something lay in the depths of those eyes. Slowly fire started to gather around her hair and face. Brian went to his wife by the fireplace. Appeasingly he laid his big hand on her nape. Ordinarily this would have the desired effect. But not so today. Indeed, the fire grew pale and at last went out completely, but now it started to rain outdoors. Very quietly they heard Dyara's voice:

„Immortality is a curse and not a gift. As a fairy one lives for a long time, however not for good. Also one lives with other fairies which are as long-living like one self. What do you thing is the reason behind the fact that a fairy loses her powers if they fall in love with a human? Clarabella and Henry would still be alive if she had had her powers. Magic is full of boundaries and rules. I was a fairy and I have lost my sister, was in a hopeless situation without hope for a quick end, have my husband and my children whom I do not want to lose. There are so many reasons to decide against immortality …"

Now it was Maerai who interrupted her mother energetically:

„But you may not forget the prophecy, Mum! "

„Don't you tell me what I have to do! "

Lighting crashed outdoors and let the windows jangle.

„My whole life long I have always shown consideration, put my wishes always in the background. I only want to grow old in rest and peace and sometime die peacefully in the circle of my family and without pain. Is this really too much to ask for? Have I not fought and suffered enough? Maerai, I have always tried to protect you and your brothers and sisters and to keep you out of it. But your father and I have seen more wars than most, have mastered disasters which have brought death to hundreds. I am simply fed up with it! And now a lousy prophecy appears and tries to dictate my life. I am already in a tight place. Two wars come up on me and in both is my family involved. Right now I cannot stand something like that! And reproaches from my children surely not! Do you understood me?!? "

It was the first time Dyara lost control towards one of her children. Maerai looked as if she might burst into tears any minute. This didn't calm Dyara as usual.

All persons present knew that a decision had to be made. Nevertheless, nobody wanted to make this decision.

Minerva looked from her still furious mother to her cousin. Claire had learned about the true magnitude of her magic only now as over-50-year-old. And, nevertheless, she appeared as the quietest. Minerva herself feared the higher magic because she could be killed and her mother rejected this experiment from the start. Since Harry had found not only his own but also their prophecy in the department of mystery, her feelings were in turmoil. At night she clung to Albus as it would be her last night with her husband. During the day it was often lost in thoughts. After Umbridge had nearly killed her and she had woken up at Saint. Mungo's in her mother's arms, she had immediately noticed the change in her cousin and her mother. Claire's wish to cure Minerva had been that strong that it tore down the barrier around her magic. Without Claire's curative powers Minerva would have been killed by the shock charms.

Minerva was very grateful for Claire's help and did not know how she could ever thank her. Brian, Jamie and Claire had had a hard time dissuading Dyara and Albus from killing Umbridge. Both were willing to give up their respect in the magician's world. Albus because of his love for his wife, his support of Harry and his fury against Umbridge and Fudge. Dyara because of her love for her eldest daughter, her stubbornness and her aversion to take the easy way out of difficulties. Minerva was her daughter, Albus' wife and a Gryffindor. She might be not afraid.

„I will do it. "

Quietly but determinedly came her decision. Claire stepped to her side and laid her hand in Minerva's, regarding Dyara tentatively. Dyara closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them again Minerva clearly saw a decision in it.

„Oh well. Let's do it. The welfare of the magician's world over our own. Maerai, I hope you have answers about the whereabouts of the tree's residence when I come back. "

With these last words she strode up to Minerva and Claire. Together they left the castle and entered the forbidden forest.

A./N.: Idiotic, confusing, however, it whirred around in my head. :)


End file.
